Pitahaya exports from Ecuador broke a new record in 2023, reaching USD 171.7 million in turnover, said the Ministry of Production.
The two varieties of pitahaya, yellow and red, that are grown in Ecuador.
The pitahaya, that exotic fruit with digestive properties, has had a good harvest in Ecuador and with the agreement with China, a boom is expected. Figures from the Ministry of Production record USD 171.7 million in sales last year, which represents an increase of 72% compared to the value exported in 2022.
The main destination market for Ecuadorian pitahaya until now is the United States with an export value of USD 136.1 million, which represents 80% of the shipments of what is also known as dragon fruit.
The United States is followed by Hong Kong, Spain, Peru and Canada; although, without a doubt, fruit producers will be one of the beneficiaries of the trade agreement with China.
Once it comes into effect in May 2024, the 20% tariff that this fruit had until now to enter the Asian giant’s market will be eliminated.
Ecuadorian exports of this fruit have grown progressively since the opening of the United States market in 2017, the Peruvian market at the end of 2022 and the Chinese market starting in April 2023.
But the desired fruit, which is grown in Ecuador in two varieties, yellow and red, also has its detractors or critics.
One of the areas with the greatest production of pitahaya is Palora, in the Amazonian province of Morona Santiago.
In this area, thousands of families are dedicated to growing fruit, and in exchange they must destroy primary forests that have been growing in Palora for years.
“In recent years, we have seen how pitahaya crops in the canton have expanded, reducing the spaces occupied by forests,” a report from the Ecociencia foundation and the MAAP (Monitoring of the Andean Amazon) project noted in 2023.
